China mulls green tax to curb pollution: report

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China is studying whether to impose an environmental tax on polluters to cut their emissions, the official China Daily reported on Saturday.

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China is studying whether to impose an
environmental tax on polluters to cut their emissions, the official
China Daily reported on Saturday.

The newspaper quoted Pan Yue, a deputy minister for environmental
protection, as saying several government agencies had formed a team of
experts to research the issue.

Pan gave no details of the proposed tax or when it might be
introduced. But he said the team was also studying the issues of
compensation for environmental damage, and the creation of a system for
companies to trade rights to emit polluting gases.

China has increasingly turned to its tax system to fight severe
pollution created by its economic boom. Last year, it cut export tax
rebates for energy-intensive products, and this month it raised
consumption taxes on large passenger vehicles.